Map file



GEORGE BARNHART, 0F OUR/AY, COLORADO.

Mar FILE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May i6, 1922.

Application led May 12, 1920. Serial No. 380,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. BARNHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ouiay, in the county of Ouray and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Map Files, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to a filing cabinet.

for maps, drawings and other similar objects, and its primary object is to provide a cabinet of very practical though simple construction in which a number of maps, drawings, blue prints oi other articles of the saine kind may be arranged in an unfolded condition and so as to be readily accessible for separate removal.-

Another object of the invention is to provide for use in cooperation with the holding members of the filing device, convenient means by which any map or maps may be removed from the cabinet without disturbing the others, or by which oneV or more maps maybe placed in a selected position with relationy toothers already enfile- Still 4another-object of the invention is to provide -a'filing cabinet' in which maps, drawings and thellike are suspended for vertical `tiling with their upper edges in a common plane, and another object isltoprovide a cabinet of the 'above described Vcharacter which may include a plurality of separate filing units and which in its closed condition provides a dust-proof container of compact form suitable for use as a table or shelf Aor as alsupport fora drawingboard or the like.

With the above and other objects in view, all of which will fully appear in the course Vof the following description, my invention in its preferred form-consists of thefconstruction and y arrangement of parts shown inthe accompanyingdrawings in the various views .of'which like parts are similarly designated, and'in which- Figure 1 represents aperspective fragmentary view of the cabinet in Vanopen position;

Figure 2, va vertical section through the cabinet showing the use of the means employed in filing maps or otherarticles or re- Vmovingthose alreadyfiled Figure' 3, a transverse section on. the line Bea Figure 2;. i. i

'Figure 4:', asimilar view ofthe cabinet in.

`its open condition;

Figure 5, an elevation of the upper portion of a map ready to be filed by the use of my invention, and

Figure 6, a face view of the two keepers cooperatively used in filing and removing` the maps. l

Referring to the drawings by numerical reference characters, my improved tiling cabinet in its preferred form is composed of a case 2 of suitable design and proportions consisting -of a bottom 3, a back 4, two parallel ends 5 and a top or lid 6 which is hinged at the upper edge of the back to protect the contents of the same from dust when not in use.

The top in its closed position may be employed as a table o1' drafting board and to this end can be made of any suitable size or form.

The ends of the case are rabbeted at their upper edges to provide parallel ledges 7 for the sliding support of one or more upright plates 8 which divide the interior of the case into compartments 9 each adapted to receive a number` of maps or other similar articles.

The foremost plate constitutes the front ofthe case and may be placed directly opposite the back of the same when the cabinet is composed of a single unit or it may constitute one of a number of similar plates spaced equidistantly apart when the cabinet is divided into a plurality of units for the purpose of increasingits capacit-y or for con- -venient classification of its contents.

Each of the plates has at its upper edge oppositely projecting lugs 8a for its support upon the ledges and its ends are longitudinally slotted for the application of lazy tongs l0. The slots in the ends of the plates are preferably reenfoiced by strips of met-al l2 fastened in correspondingly formed recesses and the intersecting bars of the lazy Extending oppositely from the surfaces of each unit and out of alinement with relation to each other are sets of pins 13 which in the operation of the invention are conjointly used for the suspension of the maps or drawings 14 which to this end are provided with correspondingly arranged per forations 15 as best shown incFigure 5 of the drawings.

The length of the pins is such that when the surfaces from which they project are moved apart, a space is formed between their ends through which the maps oi drawings may be moved up or downwardly for their placement on or removal from either set.

The pins are provided at their ends with laterally projecting retention shoulders 13a preferably formed by flattening` their opposite sides. Y

Used in conjunction with the pins for the placement or removal. of the maps are two keepers 16 each consisting of a strip vof metal having notches in one of its edges which are arranged in correspondence with the spaced arrangement'of the two sets of pins on the opposed surfaces of one of the filing units. 1

Each strip has two series of notches 17 and 18 of different widths alternately arranged, one width corresponding to the thickness of the pins rearward of their shoulders and the other width exceeding the thickness of the pins across said shoulders.

The series of notches of each strip Valternate reversely with relation to those ofthe other so that when the strips are placed toget her the wide notches of either are alined with the narrow ones of the other.

In the' operation of my invention the maps or drawings are suspended from the pins on lthe opposite surfaces of one of the filing1 units by placing them on one of the sets after the surfaces are moved apart, it-being understood that the opposite set will enter the corresponding perforations of the maps when the surfaces are subsequently moved together.

By forming the perforations in the maps or drawings at' substantially equal distances from the upper edges thereof, the vdifferent articles suspended from the pins are made separately accessible irrespective of their proportions and while the present invention does not include any particular means `for forming ythe perforations, it appears lappropriate to mention at this point that a special device having a plurality of punches at fixed distances apart and gauges which determine the 'position of a map or drawing with relationthereto, will be found to be a practically indispensible adjunct to the cabinet. v

The perforationsof the maps maybe reenforced byfpieces of cardboard or the like or thev may be formed in tabs which are attachd at the edges of the maps.

ject or number of the saine;

For convenience in identifying the Ydifferent articles on le, they can be provided with upwardly projecting tabs as shown at 19 in Figure 5 which bear the name, sub-V j `in order to remove one of the maps filed in the cabinet, the two keepers 16 are placed over the-pins at opposite sides thereof after which the surfaces of the unit in which the map is filed are moved apart.

, a 7 5 The alternate arrangement of the wide `and narrow notches of the keepers will retain one of themV on either set of pins, with the result-that after the surfaces'have been separated to the extentthat a space is formed between the ends of the pins the maps between the keepers will be free'to be removed throughfsaid space while the maps at opposite sides thereofare retained upon the sets of pins by the respective keepers as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings,

A. map may be placed in a selected'posi tion with `relation to the mapsalready on le ina similar manner by placing the two keepers together in the selected space between the two maps,I then separating the surfaces as beforeand placing the map to be filed upon one of the sets of pins through the space betweenthem. i

Having thus described my improved filing cabinet in thefniost practical form at present. known to me, I desire it understood that variations inthe constructionfand arrangements of its parts may-beresortedto without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as defined in 'the' following claims.

What Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is: a l

1. A filing 4device having twoopposed surl faces one of which is movablerelative to the 105 other, sets of suspension-members projecting oppositely fromthe surfaces to' conjointlysupport an" article placed between them, and means cooperating withV said members to automatically retain a selected number of` 110 suspended articles on either set when the surfaces are moved fapart. Y

2. In a filing device, twoopposed surfaces having a connection for the movement of` j one inconstant parallel relation `to V.the 115 other, sets'of suspension-,members projecting oppositely` from the surfaces to conjointly support an article placed between them, and means cooperating with=said members to automatically'retain a selectedgnumberof 120 suspended articles on either set when the surfaces are inovedapart.`

` 3. In filing cabinet, la series of plates providing pairsv'of opposed surfaces, and interconnected to bei simultaneouslyseparated 125 from each other, sets of suspension members projecting oppositely from the opposedesurfaces to' f' conj ointly support an article yplaced between them, and means-"cooperating V,with

Vsaid members to automatically retain a se- 13-0 lected number of suspended articles on either set when the plates are moved apart.

4. In a filing cabinet, a series of plates comprising pairs of two opposed surfaces and interconnected for their simultaneous separation from each other in constant parallel relation, sets of suspension-members projecting oppositely from the opposed surfaces to conjointly support articles placed between them, and. means cooperating with said members to automatically retain a selected number of suspended articles on either set when the. plates are moved apart.

5. A Filing device having two opposed surfaces one of which is movable relative to the other, sets of pins projecting oppositely from said surfaces out of alinement with respect to each other, each pin having retentionshoulders at its end, and two keepers each having two series of notches of different widths, arranged to receive the pins of the two sets respectively, and reversely arranged with relation to those of the other keeper.

6. A filing device having two opposed surfaces one of which is movable relative to the other, sets of pins projecting oppositely from said surfaces, and alternately arranged out of alinement with each other, each pin having retention shoulders at its end, and keepers each having two series of notches of different widths alternately arranged to receive the pins of the two sets respectively, and reversely arranged with relation to those of the other keeper.

7. A tiling device having two opposed surfaces one of which is movable relative to the other, non-alined sets of suspension members projecting oppositely from the suri faces to conjointly support an article placed between them, and means cooperating with said members to automatically retain a se* lected number of suspended articles on either set when the surfaces are moved apart.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE H. BARNHART. 

